The Berkshires Blog

No Small Feat – The Wellness Guy

A gym is just a pile of weights; a basketball sitting in the middle of a court is just that, until a team appears to set things into motion. This is what Cranwell Resort in Lenox brings to the physical fitness arena. Their coupling of golf and tennis pros with personal trainers who specialize in these sports–brings their offering full circle. Add to this the spa atmosphere, which includes massage, steaming or soaking, and you have a complete workout! One of their new trainers was once a footballer; Craig Ptak is now the trainer for golfers. Tiger Woods’ knee injury is perhaps the most publicized, but many golfers also tweak their back or hip due to the twisting motion of the swing. Core strength is an important means of prevention, which can be gained through personal training or Pilates (also offered at Cranwell). Aside from Pilates, you can find classes such as Liquidation, Body Sculpt, Zumba, Absolutely on the Ball or Divine Sleep Yoga and Yoga Nidra; there’s also a Deep Water Challenge. Shannon Lasorsa, Director of Fitness for Cranwell, especially enjoys training people (guests of the resort, homeowners on the Cranwell property or “Passport” members of the community) for competitive swimming. She likes the physio-ball class as well because it takes a tool — that almost faded into obscurity — and breathes new life into it. With a talented instructor, it becomes more than just a giant blue ball. Cranwell trainers take guests off-property for hiking trips to Monument Mountain and elsewhere. They also conduct team-building exercises for companies. While younger folks may be going for the extreme fitness craze, Cranwell continues to roll-out inventive programs that prevent injury while getting people conditioned and ready to compete. With a client base ranging from 19 years old to 85, this is no small feat.